Venetian blind



Aug. 1, 1944. 'R. B. EVANS VENETIAN BLIND Filed Dec. so, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 7&26355FV4273 R. B. EVANS VENETIAN BLIND Aug. 1, 1944.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 30, 1942 AZ I I INVENTOR 7Z9Zri5 2 75 B 6 ATT0RNEY Allg. 1, 1944. EVANS 1 2,354,803

VENET IAN BLIND INVENTOR 72 ATTORNEY Aqg. 1,1944. R.-B. EVANS VENETIAN BLIND Filed Dec. 50, 1942 Sheets-Sheet 5 7701a fi 251 42 5.

INVENTOR 4 TORNE Y Patented Aug. 1, 1944 UNITED PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to Venetian blinds? or to shades or screens of this type, and' its primary objects are to provide an improved blind in which the design and also the operation are materially simplified, so that while it is capable 5 of all, necessary or desirable operationsjyet the total number of parts, includingallfittingsand the like, is reduced to a minimum; to provide a blind in which no hardware at all'is'required,

so that, if necessary or desirable as-in the'pre'sent war emergency, no metal parts even tacks or the like, need be used, and also lesseramounts of cord and textile materials are required; to provide a blind which, due to its simplicity, is cheap to manufacture and also saves the ultimatelcustomer since he may buy it as a package of the right lengths and number of slats, flexible holders and cord to fit his window and readilylput' it together and install it himself; to. provide an easily installed blind of this type which is also .2,

convenient and easy to take down and take apart for cleaning; and to provide an improvedVenetian' blind in which the Wholeblind; including all operating cords or the like,'is suspended'from the top rail which is, in turn, tiltably mounted so that it and the rest of the blind suspended therefrom can be conveniently'put in place or removed.

' In the usual types of Venetian blinds, ina'd- 30 ditio'n to the cords for collapsing the slats, there areother cords or some other means to tip or'tilt the slats. It is an object of this invention to eliminate the necessity for such extra tilting means and to provide a single means for both of these functions, particularly a single' or' unitary flexible means such as a border cords to raise and collapse the slats andalso to tilt them or hold them in tilted positions. i 1

Also in the usual type of Venetian blinds,as mentioned above, the series of slats 'rest's'on' ofiset rungs of a tape ladder suspended from" a' top member which has hardware or metal end pivots which are held in metal brackets fixed to the window frame or on a top cross member which is v I .prov1de a normal tension in the seatpengagmg mhoist cord to always'hold the slats against endsecured to the window frame, and its two'spaced hoist-cords extend from the lowermost rail =or slat up through transversely elongated slots in the slats to pulleys, sheaves or the'like on the tiltable top member and then to other pulleys or the like on the upper side portion of the windowframe or jambs, and thence down the .side ofthe jambs to be secured. Accordingly";itiisan object of the present'invention to have'the unitary 'cord means not only. collapsibly hoist the-sla-ts but prevent endwise displacementoi the:slats,

andalso serve to tiltthe slats-or. hold them :in their horizontal or tilted positions and, in addition, serve as a stop or guide to prevent the blind from swinging or being swayed by the wind outwardlyz oraway from the window or its frame. Thus, according to my invention; theremay be only a single centrally positioned hoist and tilt cord or, if desired, two'or more such cords .or lengthsspaced apart, which may, if desired, be

underthe ladder tapes, asusual; but my'cord or cords slidably engagethe top rail or somelateral- 1y offset part thereon to form -a tiltinglever. This may be done, for example by passing the cord up through a hole through the top rail and 5 then over its top face and directly down along,

and normally engaging, the front or'outer face of the blind to restrain it from swaying, the lower end of the cord being adjustably secured-at or adjacent the window sill. Thus, the whole blind is flexibly suspended from a removable tiltably mounted; top rail which may be mountedon the inside or outside of the window or the like, and there areno pulleys, guides or the like on the upper portion of the window frame, and, the top 5 rail itself actsas a cord actuating tilting lever.

While the lower or secured portion ofthe cord or cords may be left free, they may also be connected to the bottom rail, or integral with or knottedto the cord portion extending down through the slats. to fornr a closed loop, thus preventing the unsightly piling up of the cord .when the blind is collapsed. Also, if desired, the

single cord or the spaced-apart .cord lengths may have integral or connected lengths of anti-sway 5. and tilting cord extending .down along both faces ofthe blindto thus tilt the blind in either direction from, the horizontal and to restrain sway in either direction. Preferably, part or all of the weight of the bottom rail is carried by engaging 40; a knot or other removable abutment on the hoist cord which has an upper knot or abutment engaging ;the top rail to prevent the cord fromslipping, to thus space'the bottom; railfromthesill and make the blind of the right height, and t0 wise displacements. Preferably, the hoist cord receiving opening inthe bottom rail has-asquare shouldered countersunk opening to receive the knot or the like with a slot opening in from the .side for ready removal of the cord.

It is another object of this invention:toprotween the side jambs of the window frame. Thus, I am eliminating the above mentioned usual pivots fixed on the ends of the top rail to be received in metal brackets mounted on the window jambs, by providing pivot pins (which may be short lengths of wooden dowel pins or the like to save metal as at present) fixed into suitable holes drilled in the upper side jambs and removably received in bearing-forming openings cut into the ends of thewooden top rail; both or only one of these openings-having a preferably narrow throat opening through the bottom face of the rail so that the rail, with its suspended slats, i may be easily set down on or lifted off these pivot pins.

In this connection, I may provide a closure or gate means for the pivot entry throat or throats to prevent the top rail coming off the pivots in case it is tilted too far or too hard.

In another form the bearing opening may beelongated transversely of the top rail or enlarged so that it may partake of a combined sliding and pivotal movement as it tilts and slides along this track which may be straight or preferably curved or acam track which may be of various curvatures and designs, although at present I' p'refer to provide a. downwardly concave track or cam slot so that the 'blind will more readily remain in its horizontal position under the influences of gravity and friction and may be tilted in either direction (as bycords') so thatthe top rail and the suspendedblind slides along the-pivots" to occupy the ends of thes cam slots or enlarged bearing openings. 'Thus, by properly proportioning the parts, theblind may be made to stay in its horizontal-or either tilted position without being held there in which case it would be ohnecessary to adjustably secure the lower portions 5 of the tilt cord except for the anti-swa feature. Further, I may use a simple, enlarged, round-hole for this bearing opening to give a lateral movement of the toprail as it tilts and such a'h'ole may be bored or drilled, instead of being routed.

In connection with the adjustable securing of the lower portions of this hoist and tilt cord, 1 have provided, several simple arrangements, although I contemplate that any of the many known or suitable cord or top-gripping devices may be employed here.

It is another object of this inventionto provide an improved form of slat-holding flexible ladder with fastening means to secure it to the end rails. In theusual Venetian blinds, the wide tape laddersare secured to the top and bottom rails by staples, tacks, or the like, and slat-holding rungs arealternately offset to permit the hoist cord to pass therebetween; while in the sinipler forms of my invention the flexible ladder may be entirely of cord or of tape. In any case, it is secured by having either the cross rungs or the side portions of the flexible ladder pinched and thus firmly and removably held in narrow grooves or slots in the top and bottom rails, thus requiring noextra parts. 'Where I use only a the blind is normally tilted, as shown;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the mounted top rail withportions broken away;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig.6 is a top plan view of the bottom rail with portions broken away;

Fig. 7 is a section taken on the line 'l'l of Fig.6;

Fig. 8' is a partly broken away plan view of one of the slats;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing cer tain modifications in another embodiment of this invention; I

Fig. 10 is an enlarged partially broken away sectional view taken on the line Illof Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a partial section taken on the line Ill-ll of Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a section taken on the line i2| 2 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged detail elevational view showing the rope grip-more clearly;

Fig. '14 is a sectional view of the top rail taken on the line l4- |4 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 15 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing certain modifications in a third embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 15a is a view similar to the upper portion "of Fig. 15 but showing the use of knots 221;

Fig. 16 is an enlarged, partially broken away sectional view on the line l6l6 of Fig. 15; and

- Fig; 1'7 is a section taken on the line |1-|1 of Fig. 15.

Referring in more detail to the drawings, the

' first embodiment selected to illustrate this insingle central hoist and tilt cord; or where'several such-cordsare not concealed under the flexible ladders, the wide tape ladders with the alternate offset rungs are'not necessary, so that I may use a ladder of cord or tape with no offset rungs. Of course, if desired, the combined hoist and tilt cords maybe concealed underthe usual wide tapes which may be secured by being pinched into slots, as noted above.

Other and more detailed objects an advantages, featuresor inherent capabilities will the apparent from the appended claims, from theifolvention is shown in connection with a conventional window and frame comprising the usual side frame parts or jambs land 2 preferably with the sash or casement guide pieces 3 and 4 ontheir facing inner sides (to normally engage the inner side or face ofthe blind), the sill or bottom member 5 and the lintel stop or top .member 6. I

heavier end slats or the tiltable top rail l2 and the bottom rai1 l3 may be of various materials and'shapes, but preferably are of wood, as shown, and are the same length and width as the slats,

but are considerably thicker and heavier, the

weight of the flexibly suspended bottom rail l3 aiding and holding the blind in its proper horizontal, tilted, or partly raised positions and aiding in holding the slats against lateral or endas hereinafter explained. Obviously,the extra thickness and strength of these end slats provide for the several slots and recesses therein without unduly weakening them, and permit the top rail to carry the rest and/or the like.

':the end portions .of the sides I of the ladder or of .the blind. Preferably, butrnotnecessarily,

the top and bottom rails 12 and I3 are identical,

except for or before they receive their .recesses As shown in Fig; 2; the cross section of the 'end rails l2 and. l3.is generally rectangular, with the inner andtouter edges or sides symmetrically rounded or curved on arcs of a circle, .or other suitable curvatures, as shown at l5, to thus give a more pleasing effect by the rounded corners, to give abetter-tilting actionas the flexible ladders and the cords wind'and unwind on opposite sides as the slats and rails are tilted by preventing too sharp a bending of these flexible members and .by somewhatsreducing the change in the .distance betweenthe two vertical runs or sides ofthe flexibleladders as the blind is tilted. However, it 'will'be appreciated that the precise forms of these end'rails may be materially changed within'the broader purview of my invention; For: example, I con-.

template that the bottom raillmay be omitted in some designs and that the top rail may be round or of other shapes.

The spaced-apart or flexible ladders to-support the slats .in spaced relation and permit their tilting are preferably made of cord or twine, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, or they' may be of narrow or the usual wide tape, as shown in Fig. 9 and'Fig. 15. The cord ladder side portions l4 have the cord .cross rungs 16 secured thereto in any desired or conventional maner, as by being woven, braided or twisted in to'the' side portions or by being knotted as at Ilia to the side portions l4,all as will be well understood by those familiar with the forming of I nets and other iarticles of cordage.

As shown, the slats l merely rest on the flexible rungs l6 whichare spaced apart vertically slightly "less than the width of the slats. In one example which has proven satisfactory (the embodiment shown in a Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive) the slats are 2 inches wide, the width .of the rungs or the spaces between the sides of the ladder isi inch greaterthan the width of the slats, and the vertical spacing of the slats is inch less than the slat widthx The cord of the ladder parts l4 and I6 is twisted corded twine comparable with No. 16 medium grade Seine twine. V g

The end slats l2 and I3 and the flexible ladders |4l6 are removably secured together by the narrow slots or grooves l1 which tightly receive the pinched end portions of the flexible ladders. When used, the knobs 16a will prevent slipping in these grooves. 'Theseslots IT are spaced to match the desired positions of the ladders and are preferably milled into the wood of theralils, so as to extend transversely completely across the top face of the top rail and across the" bottom face of the bottom rail. The depth of these slots IT may varybut should be sufficient to firmly hold the ladder portions and,-a s shown here,-is about one-half the thickness-of the-end rails, or of an inch. The widthofthes'e'slots is such that the cords ortapes'have to beforc'ed into them to be tightly pinched. A's'w'ill be'un'derthe end cross rung l6 itself may be pinched into -ders,1 as shown. .positioned centrally of the length of the top-rail,

theslots; 'As shown,'the slots 11 in the top rail receive the first rungs of the flexible ladder, while the slots l'L'in the bottom rail receive the -endszo'f .theside rungs of theladder, which may be overlapped if desired to take care of any excess length and to'give a better grip. Also,

"carrying the. bottom rail by the side rungs of the ladderpermits the spacing of the bottom rail to be adjusted with respect to the nextslat aboveit- The bottom rail 13 has a centrally positioned "hoist cord hole I8 extending therethrough from its top .to its bottom face and having the countersunk bottom portion l9 opening in fromits bottom :face, with the preferably square cut or flat shoulders 20 which have been found to be important inproperly holding the lower knot 26. Preferably, the'hole I8 is the end of a routed-in slot 2| opening in from the back edge of the rail (the edge toward the window). The slot 2| extends from top to bottom of the rail and is only slightly wider than the hoist cord used, to thus permit the .cord to be withdrawn from'the'bottom rail without untieing the the end knot 26. This has been found to make the assembly and take :down considerably more convenient, as the :knot 26 can bemore easily untied when the cord .is withdrawn fromthe bottom rail and also the knot-can be more accurately positioned when it .can be ltiedtin the cord 'while alongside of the :bottom rail land-then slid into place.

The top rail l2 has asimilar or correspondin .hol'e'r22 'extending from its top to its bottom face and'having the upper countersunk or enlarged :knot-receiving portion 23 which may be cut in various'ways, for example-with the sloping shoul- For one hoist cord, hole His and while hole 22 may be positioned centrally of the width of the top rail, yet where, as in this particular embodiment, the blind can be held xinxonlyroneextreme'tilted position as by the tilt cord coming down only on the outer face of the blind, I prefer to have hole 22 offset toward the front or outer edge of the top rail, as shown, particularly. when no closures, such as plugs [40 are used since this offset helps to prevent the vrail coming off the pivots.

The cord 25 has a plurality of functions- It serves' as the hoist cord to collapse the slats by raising them from the bottom rail; it serves' to tiltthe slats .and hold them in tilted position; it holds the slats in alignment against endwise movements since the portion of the cord passing through the slots '24 is always tensioned 'andfthus will restrain or engage the edges of the slots'2 4 upon any appreciable endwise movements'of the slats. Further, when itslower end or lower portion is secured, that portion of the cord extending down along the front (or the back) faceof the blind will'prevent' the blind from swinging laterally out from the window on its frame; I t

will be understood thatnormally th blind, particularly when its slats are in horizontal position,

- will rest against and be engaged with portions of the window frame, such as 3 and '4, ori'else with the window itself, so that the blind cannot swing inwardly towards the window. Also, the secured cord portion extending along the outer face of the blind will prevent it from swinging outward, since when the slats are horizontal, this outer secured cord portion will normally engage them, andwhen the slats are tilted there maybe-a against endwise movements. Thus,as shown in Fig. 1, the knots 26 and 21 because of the open throat 2|.

7 positions.

-25 but to grip the knots In assembling the blind forinstallation, .the

.cord 25 is passedthrough the slots 24 of the aligned slats. (which may be inserted. beneath flexible ladders whichare mounted onthe installed top rail); and the knots 26 and 21 are then tied. Preferably, the knot 26 is tied first at or adjacent one end of the cord, the cord is threaded through slots 24, and the knot 21 is then tied and spaced at the proper distance to position the bottom rail properly above the sill 5 to determine the desired height of 'the blind, and particularly sov that the cord25 carries part or all of the weight of. the bottom rail [3. Thus, the portion of the cord 25 passing through the slots .24 of the slats will always be tensioned. Of course, all or only part of the weight of l3 .may be thus carried, so long as there is sufiicient tension in the cord 25 to hold the slat of the cord 25 support part of the weight of vthe bottom rail l3 when the slats are in horizontal, tilted, or collapsed positions, so that the portion of the cord between these knots will engage the sides of the slots 24, which are not very much wider than the cord, to thus prevent any appreciable endwise displacement of the slats. It will, of course, be understood that the cord, slats and end rails may be assembled in various Ways. For example, the knot 26 can be tied first, the other end of the cord fed-through, and the remaining knots then tied.

It will be seen that in taking the blind down,

as for cleaning, it will only be necessary to untie the knot 26 in order to completely remove all the slats and theend rails. As explained above, the knot 26 can be more accurately positioned at just the right point on the bottom rail After the cord 25 is threadedthrough the slats and knots 26 and 21 are tied, the series of knots 28,-29 and 30 are tied in their proper positions, which can be readily determined by trial with the'blind in place. These knots are removably engaged and held by securing means 3|-3l to thus hold the blind in various tilted or collapsed the securing means may, as shown here, be in the form of two wooden dowel pins 3l-3l which are driven into holes suitably bored in the sill 5 and spaced apart just enough to pass the cord thereon.

This type of securing means for the cord embodying fixed abutments or walls to engage a knot or other projection on the cord, has certain advantages since it gives a positive, non-slip grip and will cause less fraying or wearing of the cord (particularly if a cheaper type of cord is used) 'thancertain other types of cord securing means which may be used, such as a spring or friction clamp or grip to pinch the cord and thus hold it in any desired position without'any knots or other projections. a It is within the broader purview of my invention to employ, in lieu of knots such as 26; 21, 28,

29 and 30 or the similar knots in the other embodiments, other forms of projections on the cords such as molded-on projections of plastic or the like, clamped or clipped on projections, and others as will be known or apparent to those skilled in such arts. The projection 26 should be removable while the others may beremovable or other projections To avoid the use of any hardware,.

.or else permanently secured once the cord is made up in the factory or home for a particular blind installation.

The last or end knot 30 is positioned to hold theslats in extreme tilted position; that is, in

the embodiment shown, with the outer edges of the slats tilted down while the knot 29 will hold the slats in intermediate or half-collapsed position, and the knot 28 will hold them in fully collapsed position. Obviously, more knots may be provided if more adjusting positions are desired.

It will be understood that in assembling the blind the end knot 26 may be tied loosely or without pulling it up tight, so that later this end knot 26 may be accurately positioned by sliding the cord out through the throat 2| and adjusting th final position of the knot.

After passing through the hole 22 in the top rail, the cord is turned over the top of the top rail and comes directly down the outer or front side of the blind to be adjustably secured as just explained. It will be noted thatthis blind requires no pulleys, guides, sheaves or the like for the cord to be mounted in the upper portion of the window frame, and it will be seen that the cord, by passing through and over and thus engaging the top rail itself, makes use of the top rail as a lever arm for tilting the same. It will, of course, be apparent that this may be accomplished in other ways by having the cord engage parts or members carried by the top rail; As shown, it will be apparent that this effective lever arm has a length of one-half of the width of the top rail, although it will be apparent that this may be varied if desired.

The top rail-is readily removably and tiltably mounted on the pivots 31, which in this particular embodiment are two short-two-inch lengths of wooden dowel pins which are of Port Orford cedar and /84" in diameter and are tightly driven into slightly smaller holes suitably drilled or bored at the desired point of suspension by the householder, with one inch protruding. The opposite ends of the top rail have pivot-receiving bearing openings 35 in the form of end slots which also open out through the bottom face of the top rail, so that the rail may be readily installed or removed by being set down on or lifted up from the fixed pivot pins.

In this first specific embodiment, the openings 35 simply supply easy or loose bearings for the pivots 31 and with the pivot center olfset upwardly from the center of the top rail, and in operation, the arrangement and the weight of the suspended blind will cause the blind, when unrestrained, to merely return to or nearly to its horizontal slat or untilted position. Thus the blind .must be held in the extreme tilted position and will return to the horizontal, except for the effect of friction in the bearings, which last is not particularly important as the slats may be set in the horizontal position or in desired slightly or partly tilted too far, so that the pins will come out of the throat 36. Slots 35, 36 may be routed into the wood of the top rail. Thus, this relatively narrow throat aids in preventing the top rail coming off the pivots when the cord is pulled too hard. It will, of course, be understood thatdifferent forms of pivots and bearings maybe employed. Obviously, pivots of strong material, such as metal pins when available, may be of smaller diameter and the bearing opening will also be correspondingly smaller. While the top rail Will generally stay onits pivot pins 3'! in ordinary usage in. raising the blind, yet in order to prevent the top rail. being accidentally pulled off due, for example, totoo hard or quick a pull on the cord so that thetop. rail is bounced up or tilted too far,. may, if cle-l sired, provide a simple removable closure or=gate to prevent the rail from accidentally comingofi and yet to permit the blind to be-;.easilytaken down, as for cleaning. Thus, I rnayemploy a springing apart its wooden sides witha Wedge actionr While a plain tight friction fit; will :suf-

fice preferably the plugs are given a slight taper or Wedge shape so that the inner face 3i which lies along the pin 31 is-slightly narrower thanthe exposed face 32 for easy entrance and a wedge action to give a frictional fit. Also,'this plug may be slightly tapered longitudinallyso that its outer end 43 is slightly; wider laterally than itsinner end 44 to give a tight or wedge fit. Of course, it will be understood that "other-designs of closures may be employed here, including the gate'shown in Fig. 15.

It will be seen that the top rail I2-and its suspended slats can only be tilted in one direction-or with the innerslat edges pointing. downwhen gnly A the suspended slats will-be" tilted.- Thus, the one cord length on the outer-face may then-be em; ployed to hold'the top rail and slats, in intermediate tilted positions, in horizontal position or in the other extreme tilted position and fure there pull on this same cord will start to collapse the blind in its second extreme tiltedangular position. It will be apparent thatg the'corglgmay be held by the pegs 3.1 and a suitable. number;of knots, as in Fig. 1, or by some other suitable cord grip device.

. It will also be seen less, removable pivotal mounting-whichisformed in part by the wood or material ofths-top.-rail itself also permits the top rail to beof full length;

that is, it can extend the full distance between the side jambs so that it lightly engages-them or nearly engages I them, thus permitting a: heater installation and making measurements f or fitting by the householder considerably easier. Also,

no. header board or the like is. necessary-andQno on th'e outside ofwindowslor other-openingsaiid that my simple,- hardware the.severaldrawings-may be considered as also showing such outside mountings with'the ,front this art.

Summarizing-(the "installation; a blind havin been purchased'as a'fknock-down package. with theri'ght number: of, lengths'fof slats, end rails, and lengths nflexible Iaddersfa'nd .hoist'tilt. cord, the-holes3 ,are drilled" mproper positions just enoughlbelbwlthe 'lintelj'topj'fil to permit 'suflicient tilt of the to rail l2 wheri'the pinsaiiareuriven in.. Properly spaced holes for thepins 3| may bedrilled; and these pins forcedin." Itwill'be oted that these operations can. be done in any brd f- I I e slatsare. slippedin between the rungs of theflexible ladders ,and the upper and lower ends of the-ladders are secured 'thetopand bottom rails inthe'ir grooves I], as previouslydescribed. With. the slats aligned, and, iffdes'ired, compacted, the. cord .25 is fittedthrough their slots 24', and

the-knot. '25 may be'tentatively' or loosely tied.

Thenthe top rail I2is set down onits pivots and the knot 21 istied at thecorrect position-or, if desired, the top rail may be mounted with the flexible ladders. attached and the slatsand hoist tilt cord then put into position. As mentioned, the knot 26 may be moved or used to make a final adjustment ofheight and tension here Then the othertilted and-raised position knots such as 28, 29,- 3Il'are tied in their proper positions, as determined. by test, and the installation 'is complete. ljt will be. apparentthat removal issubstantially the reverse-of these. operations; however, only knot 26 need b undonein. order tosli'p out'all offethe slats for thoroughcleaning or th like. In. Figs.,9 to 14, illustrating. certain modificationsin a second embodiment of this invention, the several parts arev the same as in the first embodiment except as otherwise noted'andthe reference'numbers forparts Which'have similar functions orare-analogous to those of the first embodiment arethe same plus I00. In these figt res, the slat III], the bottom rail H3 and the pivots I31 are the same asthe corresponding parts arein the first modification. V

The flexible-ladders ma be in the form of the ladders ,of narrow tape wide as shown) with thel'sides IMand-thenonoiisetcross rungs H6, these ladders being secured into grooves I I1 with twoflend rails as described above :for ladders l t -I6. It will beapparentthat either the tape ladder sides or rungs-can bepinched into slots 1J1 which will be of the proper .width. 7

;Qnly one central hoist-tilt cord is shown as-in Figs; 1 to 8, but as illustrated here, the otherwise similar hole' I22 in the toprail I I2 is. also pentered between the back and, front edges of the rail, particularly since in this second modification, the blind slats may be horizontal or be .tilted to extreme-position in either direction while they are fully extended by having thehoist tilt cord-such as; I25, include a portion ,I 25a extending down along the other -faee or backof; the blind tobe adiustably secured like the portion extending; down: thefront of the ,blind as described above, 'Ifhus, it will be seen thatby-the use of hoistetilt ,cord portions down both faces the e i P ov de ,abl misw ia cl softhat iiaq'r w ur t er nea y t t e or z n slpbpos fipn a a -.Ei n wh c =m v-be tilted to the extent desired in either direction by pull-3 ing downtheappropriate cord portion I25 'or' I25a and the blind may betilted or'collapsed by eitherhandling cord portion; Also the portion I25a, when secured and ten sioned, willserve to restrain the blind" against swaying or swinging in this direction and, as shown,the blind may be restrained against swing-- ing in jeither direction or thus held in both directions when both handling cord portions are ten-" sione'djas when the blind is. lowered or partly raised; Cordportion I25a will be de'sirable for this; reason where, the blind does not normally restjzjagafnst guide 'su'rfacesu'ch aswindow frame Po ti ns ran f f1 j .The' "portion I25a may be made in various ways, for example, it maybe knotte'dfinto' the crdI25 at the knot I21, or abovethis knot as shown atI2'Ia. Also as shown here, the loo'se free end or ends of the hoist tiltcord, which would as shownin Fig. 1, pile upon the floor as the blind was "collapsed, maybe eliminated by forming, in effect, -a closed loop. Thus, the free ends of' the cords mayfbe secured to the lower'iace of the bottom'rail H3, or preferably and as shown, these ends are knotted asat I26a to the lower end of the cord I25, below knot'I26, so that as the blind is raised or collapsed by I25 or l25a, or both, the otherwise free ends of the cord being raised to prevent loose 'or piled up ends.

In lieu of knots or otherprojections orthe like on the hoist-tilt cord to give a definite and limited number of tilted and raised p'osit'ionsas' in Fig. 1, we may, as shown here; omit all holding knots or the like on the cord 125 except, of course, for the knotsIZB and I2I, andif desired, knots I26a and I2-Ia. In this case, the cord may beheld in anyone of aninfinite'number of adjusted positionsof tilt or collapse for the blind, by a suitable cord or rope gripping device which may be any one of' the various known types or of the design shown at I3I; This cord grip, indicated as a'whole by I3'Ijand which may be of plastic, metal or woodyis screwed down on the window sill as shownf'and is formed tohave a generally horizontal but slightly upwardly directed and inwardly'converging slot I32 opening from one side As will be apparent, either or both cord portions I25 and I25a may be passed through this slot from oppo-- site sides, as shown in Fig. 10. The upward pull on the cords will tightly pinchthem into'this upwardly directed and tapering or converging slot or groove I32, which has rounded sides or edges to reduce wear or fraying of theco'rds. Preferably, the cord portions are long enough so that there are slack or loose-portions" be tween grip I3I and the knot I26a'. 'As will be seen, the width of slot I32 is about equal too'r preferably slightly less than the Width of the bottom rail so that the cords will extend straight up. r a

In the top rail pivotal mounting of Fig. 11, the openings 35 are upwardly ofiset andare merely loose or easy bearings for the pivots, so that when unrestrained, the blind is normally biased to return toward its horizontal slat posi tion and thus must be held in slat tilted positions. However, in the present embodiment I show one form of a preferred pivotatmountingIfor'the top rail or other top member to ve a combine'd pivotal and lateral sliding motion to the top'i'ail as it is tilted. yThus I may more readily'obtain large tilt angles and I mayalsoarrange or proportion this type of ivotal mounting so that the top railand the suspended slats will normally remain irr any'desired or adjusted tilted position, even when the cords I25 or I25a are not tension ed." Upon reflection, it will become apparent that these results may be accomplished in various ways. ings I35 are laterally enlarged or elongated relative to the pivot pin size and the top or upper surfaces of the bearing provides a laterally extending track or preferably a downwardly-concave curved cam surface for the pivot. Preferably' opening I35 is a round hole so it can be bored or drilled, which is easier than routing. Specifically, here the thick top rail II2 has hole I35 of diameter for the same diameter pivots as shown in Fig. 1. As will be seen, the bearings I35 are relatively larger than bearings 35;. Various proportions may be used for difier'ent types and designs of blinds, and the specific proportions are given here to give a clearer understanding of certain satisfactory designs.

As the top rail is tilted either way by a pull ctr-the ladders, on the slats, or on the cords I25 or I25a, the top rail will also shift or slide laterally as it tilts so that its center of gravity and that of the suspended blind is offset laterally with respect to the pivots.

The curvation of the top surface of the opening I35 or the relative curvatures of I35 and I3! may be such, as illustrated here, that the blind will stay in any tilted position, due to this lateral offset'or sliding action, the weight of the suspended blind and friction in the bearings.

'In order to reduce the possibility of the top rail II2 being pulled 01f its pivots, I may make one endbearing without any side or bottom entrance throat and the-other bearing will have 'such-a-throat. Thus, instead of two such throats, as-in Fig. 1,where' the top rail can besimply set Straight down on its pivots, here I will first place the loose and entirely closed or non-throat bear ing over its pivot pin and then set theother bearing down on its pin through its entry slot or throat I36, which will just pass the pin I3I as described above. Although I may employ a closure for the entry throat, yet, because of the much smaller possibility of accidental removal of the top rail, I do not illustrate such a closure in this particular embodiment.

The installation and the operation of this em bodiment will-be generally similar to that of l', except for theabove noted or apparent diii'er e'nces. Y lnf- Fig's. 15 to- 17, illustrating certain other modifications in a third embodiment of the invention, the-several-parts are the same as in the previous-embodiment, except as otherwise noted, and the reference characters for parts which have similar functions to those of the first embodiment are the same plus 200. Particularly in the case of wider blinds," it may be desirable to employ two or more s'pacedhoist tilt cords or rail engaging cord portions, such as the two legs of cord 225. While retaining'a-number of the'features and advantages of this'i nv'ention,-it is also possible to have these hoist-tilt portions 225 nounted underand concealed by, the conventional wide tape ladders 2I4 and between the usual offset njarrower tape rungs: 2L5, as is conventional in the installation of the usual Spaced simple "hoist cords. Although it will be apparent t-hatthe hoist tilt, cord here may be madeup of several pieces orlengths suitably con.

A's-shown here, the bearing open nected by knots or otherwise, I prefer to have the main portion consist of only one length 225, which may be considered'as being in the form of an inverted U, with its legsextending down through and engaging the sides of the laterally elongated slots 224 (to'thus restrain the slats against end-wise movements when these cord portions are tensioned, as described above), and

with the lower ends of the U or the free ends of the cord knotted as at 226 to be received in openings 2l8 having the portions H9 and- 220 and the side or back entry throat 22I all as explained in connectionwith the embodiment of Fig. 1. -The legs of theU of this cord 225 pass between the conventional alternately offset narrow tape rungs- 216 and then throught-he spaced top-mail holes 222-which are positioned centrally abovethe centers of the ladders; However,'the top of the inverted U of this cord lies along and engages the portion of the top rail betweenthe holes 222- so that, as shown in Fig. '14, upper knots are not essential here to hold the bottom'rai-l and to always tension the cord 225 by reason of the lower end'kno'ts 226. However yas an aid in getting the two sides of the blind of equal height, I may employ-knots 221 to engage in these holes'222, as shown in-Fig.'15a as the knot 21 engages in hole 22; r

If desired, the ladders 2| 4 may besecured to the rails by pinching grooves 2I'I as shown in the embodiment of Fig. S1. Here, however, the grooves 2|! in the top and'bottom rails are oilset slightly to one sideor the other from holes 222 or from the centers of the tapes to conform to'the offset narrow tape rungs 2H5 which are tightly pinched into these grooves, for example, by being forced into the 'grooves by a knife edge or 'the'like; In order'to getthe proper'spacing between the adjacent slats andthe end rails, I may, as shown, centrally cut the endcross rungs 2'! 8-of the la'dder-so that the endsare separated when in grooves 211, *thus getting the same effect-as though the end rungs of the ladder were wider spaced than the other rungs to conform to the greater thickness of theends rails,

While this third embodiment'may be' designed like the first embodiment with similar pivot bearings and the cord or cords to givea one-waytilt or to pull only on one edge of the top rail, yet I prefer to have suitably attached hoist-tilt cord portions extending both down the front and back sides of the blind so that it may be secured against accidental dislodgment in any desired tilted or raised positionand normally held in its central or horizontal position. I

Instead of having spaced cords extending down in front and back or outside of the ladder tapes, L prefer to-have one or a single length of cord 225a suitably attached to cord 225 intermediate, and preferably I centrally between, the holes 222 by suitable knots such asg22la, whereby the free ends of this cord 225a are knotted together and to cord 2 25, leaving a closed loop or bight hangin g down below and around the bottom rail 2l3, there being sufificient slack so that either or both sides or runs may be adjustably secured in a suitable rope grip member, such as 23!, which may be identical to I3I. ThusIhave illustrated here a somewhat ,different form off'closed loopthan theo'ne shown in the secondembodimentsince here, insteadof being attached to the bottom rail orjto the portions of the cord coming down through the slats,"the handling cord portions are connected to eachother to form aclosed loop hanging free and running under the bottom rail;

U top of cord 225 will change from a straight length into a V form with a. decreasing'apex an-' gle which will be on one face, or'the' other, de-' pending on which handling cord is pulled.

Thus, as in the second embodiment, the blind' here may be tilted or held tilted in either direction and may be raised by either of the handling cord portions. While the blind is partly raised or collapsed, I may tension both the inner and outer handling cord portions by passing two' turns of the cord through the grip member'23I' from opposite sides.

In connection with this third embodimentpI have illustrated another possible variant of a pivot bearing to give combined sliding and tilting motion. Here opening 235 is in the'form of a laterally elongated slot with rounded ends and aflattop 235aparallel to the faces of the rail which has a centrally located part cylindrical recess 235b, which will receive andthus hold the pivot pin to normally retain the blind in its horizontal or nearly horizontal position. Upon'a certain amount of tilting, the recess 235 will' I have shown the bearing opening 235 at one end' as being closed, while the opening at the other end has the pivot entry throat 236, so that the top rail is installed as explained in connection with the second embodiment.

It will be seen that pivot pins-are olfsetabove the entry plane of the top rail'in all of the em--" bodiments shown to get a more stable mounting and that in all forms shown the bottom rails ma be identical with the top rails except for the difierent openings. Obviously, the top rails may be thicker to provide more room for the bearings and the bottom rails may be quite thin, or only slats, if the cord tensioning feature is not desired.

If desired, I may employ a closure for this entry throat 236 which may be in the form of a swinging gate consisting of a plate 240 of any suitable material swingable on a pivot pin 246, so that it may be moved from open to closed position and may be retained closed bymeans such as a detent 241, or merely by'having the pivot pin (which may be a nail or screw) pressed in tightly enough to give sufiicient friction. I

' As will be apparent, the blinds of the second and third embodiments may be tilted or raised by pulling'on the inner or outer handling cord portions. Also, I intend to include several connected cords when I refer to a cord or a common cord or the like in the claims or elsewhere herein, unless I specify otherwise. a

As will be apparent, the installation and operation here are essentially the same as in the pie vious embodiment, with the differences being noted above, or obvious.

It will also be understood by those skilled inthis artthat'the several features and modlfica tions illustrated heremay be used in the other embodiments shown here or may be employed invarious other combinations, and that the several mustrated embodiments of this invention are not As'theblindis raised or collapsed, the inverted intended. as; limiting, since the invention may and a common flexible means to raise or lowersaid slats and also to tilt them in the other direc- I tion.

2. A Venetian blind comprising, in combina,

tion, a series of slats, flexible means to suspend said slats in spaced relation, and means including only a single cord to tilt, to raise or lower said slats, and to hold them in tilted or in raised positions.

3. In combination, a Venetian blind comprising a series of slats, flexible means to suspend said slats, a second flexible means to tilt said slats, and means to always tension said second flexible means to hold said slats against lateral movements. 7 I

4. A Venetian blind comprising, in combination, a tiltably mounted top rail, a series of slats, flexible means suspending said slats in spaced relation from said top rail to be tilted therewith, and a common flexible means to hold said slats against endwise displacements and against lateral swinging, to hoist and collapse said slats, and to tilt said slats.

j 5. A Venetian blind comprising a series of slats,, means to flexibly suspend said slats in spaced relation, a common hoist cord means to raise and collapse said slats and means to tension said hoist, cord means when said blind is lowered or raised.

to always hold said slats against lateral displacements.

6. A Venetian blind comprising aseries of.

flexibly suspended spaced slats having aligned openings therethrough and a hoist cord through and engaging the sides of said openings and having spaced means thereon engaging the upper and lower slat members and always maintaining the cord in tension by at least part of the weight of the lower slat member, to thus restrain all of said flexible means to restrain said slats againstv lateral movements.

j 8. A Venetian blind comprising a tiltably mounted top rail, a series of slats, flexible means suspending said slats in spaced relation entirely from said top rail to be tilted therewith, flexible means suspended entirely from said top rail to tilt said top rail and said slats and to collapse said slats, whereby all of the operating members of said blind are supported only by said tiltably mounted top rail.

9. A Venetian blind comprising a tiltable top rail, means to pivotally mount said top rail in the window frame for tilting motions, a plurality of slats having openings therethrough, spaced apart flexible ladder means to suspend said slats in uniformly spaced parallel positions from said top rail to be tilted therewith, and a centrally positioned, flexible means to collapse and raise said slats suspended entirely from said tiltable top rail extending up through said openings and downacross one face of said blind. engaging said slats and secured'at its lower end to hold said blind against swinging.

10. A Venetian blind comprising a tiltably mounted top rail, a-series of slats flexibly supspacedrelation therefrom to be tilted therewith,

and a common flexible meansto tilt said rail and slats and to collapse said slats suspended only from said tiltable top rail.

12. A Venetian blind comprising a tiltably mounted top rail having a central hole therethrough, a series of slats flexibly suspended therefrom to betilted therewith, said slats having aligned transverse slots therethrough, and ahoist cordsecured to the lowermost slat member, extending upthrough and fitting loosely in the slots in said-slats topermit tilting and through the hole in said top rail, and then extending over said top rail and directly down across and engaging the exposed face of said blind, and means to adjustably secure this lower portion of said cord to hold said blind in selected tilted positions andselectdraised andcollapsed positions and also to restrain said blind from swinging.

13. As an article of manufacture, a wooden Venetian blind top rail to be tiltably mounted on opposed pivots fixed in a, window frame or the, like; and to tiltably carry a series of slats, said top rail having a pivot receiving, bearing forming opening: extending into the wood of said top rail from each end thereof.

, 14. A Venetian blind comprising a top rail, 9. series of slats, ,means flexibly suspending said slats in spaced relation from said top rail to be tilted therewith, and means to mount said top rail for pivotal tilting and lateral sliding movements comprising opposed pivot members secured in the window frame and a pivot receiving, bearing opening in the material of each end of said top rail itself, said openings being laterally enlarged with respect to saidpivots to permit lateral sliding as the rail is tilted.

' 15. A Venetian blind installation in a window frame comprising a tiltable wooden top rail and a series of slats flexibly suspended therefrom to be tilted therewith, the tiltable mounting of said top rail comprising wooden pivot pins fixed in suitable holes in the window frame, and pivot receiving, bearing openings cut into the ends of said top rail, and also at least one opening through the bottom surface of said top rail, to thus avoid the necessity for hardware in the pivotal mounting and whereby the blind may be i'emovably installed by positioning the top rail down on the pivotsyand said bearing openings beinglaterally offset from center so that the top rail and blind are normally tilted when unrestrained. I

1 16. In a Venetian blind installation in a window'frame, pivot pinssec'ured to said frame and a tiltable toprail having means for'readily" and removably mounting 'iton said pins comprising bearing openings loosely fitting said pins extending intothe wood of its ends, and at least one of said openings having an open bottom throat to pass said pivot pin, and a movable closure member for said throat.

17. A tiltable, one piece, wooden Venetian blind top rail having an open sided, pivot receiving, bearing slot forming recess extending into the wood of the end of the top rail itself.

18. A Venetian blind comprising a top rail, a series of slats, means flexibly suspending said slats in spaced relation from said top rail to .be tilted therewith, and means to mount said top rail for combined tilting and lateral sliding motion in either direction from the open horizontal position of the top rail and the slats whereby friction and the weight of the blind will hold it in horizontal or tilted positions.

19. A Venetian blind comprising a top rail, a series of slats, means flexibly suspending said slats in spaced relation from said top rail to be tilted therewith, and means to mount said top rail for a combined tilting and lateral sliding motion, said mounting means being constructed and arranged to frictionally retain said top rail and the slats tilted therewith in any desired adjusted tilted or horizontal position.

29. A Venetian blind comprising a top rail, a series of slats, means flexibly suspending said slats in spaced relation from said top rail to be tilted therewith, and pivot means to mount said top rail for a combined tilting and lateral sliding motion in either direction from a central horizontal position including means to normally hold said top rail in its horizontal position.

21. In a Venetian blind, a top rail having transverse slots across its upper surface and suspended, slat holding, tape ladders tightly pinched therein.

22. A Venetian .blind comprising a. series of tiltable slats, flexible ladder members holding said slats, and a tiltably mounted top rail having narrow grooves to pinch and thus secure upper end portions of said members.

23. As an article of manufacture, a Venetian blind end rail having narrow transverse grooves to pinch and thus secure the end portions of slat holding flexible members.

24. A Venetian blind comprising a tiltably mounted top rail, spaced cord ladder members, a series of slats removably held in said ladder members, said top rail having correspondingly spaced narrow grooves-across its upper face to pinch and thus removably secure the upper portions of said suspended cord members.

25. A Venetian blind comprising a tiltably mounted top rail, a series of slats flexibly suspended therefrom to be tilted therewith, and a hoist cord to collapse said slats secured to the lowermost slat member, slidably suspended from said top rail and then extending down the exposed front face of the blind and connected to the portion secured to said lowermost slat member to form a closed loop, and means to secure the lower portion of said loop in selected positions to hold the blind in desired collapsed positions.

26. A Venetian blind comprising a tiltably mounted top rail, a series of slats flexibly suspended thereirom to be tilted therewith, a lower cord-securing means, and a slat-collapsing hoist cord means secured to the lowermost slat, slidably engaged over a portion of said tiltable top slat member and then extending directly down across the inner exposed face of said blind to said cord-securing means to hold the blind in selected collapsed positions and to restrain the blind against swaying.

ROBERT B. EVANS. 

